pierre smith

pierre smith

Well Known Member
Mornin' everybody,
Our 6A (180 HP, 3 bladed Catto), Sojourner, now has 56 hours on her and I took the wife down to Daytona last Thursday for the twin 150 races. On arrival, the controller sequenced us as 'number two behind the King-Air' and "could you kindly slow down to around 100?" I said that I could and he returned with....."even 110 would be fine" With a smug chuckle and a grin from wifey we complied......too sweet, these little RVs!! We'd been descending at 200 GPS speed.
Keep pounding rivets guys/gals........It'll be flying before you know it!! We covered the 276 mile return trip in 1 hour 29 minutes!
Pierre
 
Controller says "Don't worry..."

This could start a flying version of the "You might be an RV builder if..." thread.

I did my Phase I flying out of a controlled field and the controllers obviously became familiar with the speed of my RV-8. One day I took off behind a Comanche and we were both departing in the same direction. The controller gave the Comanche a left downwind departure and me a right downwind. Shortly after I departed the Comanche driver became concerned because he obviously lost sight of me. So he asked the tower about my position. The tower responded that I was abeam of him on the right downwind, then followed that by saying, "But don't worry, you're not going to catch him". :D
 
It goes both ways...

I was right downwind, and a store-bought 172 was behind me. The tower cleared me to land, then cleared the 172 to land number two, but threw in a warning that "the experimental in front of you will be slow on the rollout."

Well, he's right about that - I do tend to let her coast to the first turn off rather than go barrelling on up to the taxiway and try to get her slowed down without putting her on her nose, and it was gratifying to know that at least one controller up there is familiar with my style, but... I still took it as a bit of a challenge. Deliberately landed a little longer than usual and made the turn off while the 172 was just turning base to final. Ha! Showed him!

This Sunday I called the tower while 6+ miles west. At just about the same time, a 172RG called 6 miles south. I got the usual request to report mid-field right downwind, while the 172 got report mid-field left downwind. I kept my speed up until I was only a mile or so from entering downwind to get there before him - these guys typically fly wide, slow patterns and I hate getting behind them. I had the 172 in sight, and durned if that SOB didn't call mid-field downwind before he was even abeam the departure end - trying to get cleared in front of me. I was abeam the tower, so jumped in with my position report before the controller could clear the fibber in ahead of me. The tower knows I'm faster in the pattern and fly it a lot closer in to the runway, so he cleared me to land, and gave the 172 number two. I was off the runway and taxiing in before the 172 was even in the flare.

I just love the controllability and the wide operational speed range of these little planes!
 
These planes are hot and small

These planes are hot and small and they are not universally liked by all controllers and pilots of certified airplanes. I'm not sure what their problem is but it is almost as if they have a chip on their shoulder when they hear the word "Experimental" (like they are challenged in some way). Anyway, be careful out there, attitudes can cause problems.

Bob Axsom
 
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so far so good

Bob,
Haven't seen much negative on the hombuilts lately. On the contrary, It seems more people enjoy them. Like the Cherokee pilot who commented to the local controller ( as I headed upwind ) "Gee that little hombuilt really moves out doesn't it".

Or the time at another airport where the controller cleared an Arrow for takeoff with a left turn out. I was then cleard to position & hold. The controller then calls the Arrow back with "Arrox 1234 no delay on that turn. I have Experimental traffic taking off behind you and he is WAAAY faster than you" :).

It never gets old .... :)

John
 
good one

Priceless John, but even funnier if it's a Bonanza. I have met a bunch of Bonanza drivers who are not nice people (my flight instructor and his wife are exceptions).

Antony
 
Return from S&F

A few years back I flew down to S&F from Lafayette, Indiana with a couple of friends in a Chereke 235. Two of us were RV builders and the pilot/owner was not. On the way home we refuled in Georgia were an RV-4 was also refuling. We left first and was turning out of the area when we saw the RV-4 taxing to the runway. In no time it was on our wing tip, gave us a wave and was gone. The other RV builder and I could not keep from razing the pilot about his lack of speed compared to his plane.

To cap it off, as we flew over Louisville, KY, still 1.5 hrs from home. Our pilot quiped "I bet your thinking if you had your RV you would be home by now". I replied, "No, I thought that an hour ago."
 
Couple years back on a very windy day (70 kts from the west), I had just intercepted the LDA 6 localizer at ROA. Controller called "Papa Lima, how 'bout slowing it down, you got a 70 knot overtake on the 737 on a two mile final." Don't hear that every day! :D
 
Love that tailwind!

Ah...also on a windy day a few years ago....I was picking up my Mom at John Wayne (SNA) airport, about a 30 minute flight; 20 minutes is flying to and over the San Gabriel Mountains then 10 minutes 'downhill' (out of 9500' @ 210+ knots groundspeed) into SNA.

I was talking with SoCAL approach when I was given the last handoff to SNA tower then checked in. Tower told me I was #2 to land, runway 19R, behind a 757 on an 8 mile final, caution wake turbulence.

I no sooner acknowledged when the tower came back, "RV 8-Papa-Victor, you're a bit faster than the heavy, you're cleared to land, 19R :D " Rosie (loving life at 200+ knots)
 
SNA is a very busy airport

SNA is a very busy airport where the largest airliner is the 757 with their notorious reputation for wake turbulence. The controllers there are amonst the best fitting in heavy and light aircraft. There are two parallel runways and they use them at a high level. 19L is only 2,887 feet and not usable by the commercial traffic but there is so much GA traffic they can't put all of the small planes on 19L. I flew in there at the end of every work day at the height of the action for 15 years and had our Archer N8304L based there for 22 years. I loved it. They knew I would get on and off quickly so they often squeezed me in ahead of the big jets on 19R when they were sending other GA arrivals from the west over the top for left traffic on 19L. A few times I made the turn at taxiway K but it was so hard that the last time I did it I had to fit the taxiway light (on a post) between my left main gear and the prop arc - never tried it again. They seemed to know when people would work with them that way so Rosie's treatment is not trivial.

Bob Axsom
 
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